Matteo Spagnolo

Matteo Spagnolo (born 10 January 2003) is an Italian professional basketball player for Real Madrid B of the Liga EBA.

Matteo Spagnolo
Spagnolo with Italy in February 2020
No. 9 – Real Madrid B
PositionPoint guard
LeagueLiga EBA
Personal information
Born (2003-01-10) 10 January 2003
Brindisi, Italy
NationalityItalian
Listed height1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Listed weight85.8 kg (189 lb)
Career information
Playing career2017–present
Career history
2017–2018Stella Azzurra Roma
2019–presentReal Madrid
2019–present→Real Madrid B
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Italy
FIBA U16 European Championship
2019 ItalyTeam

Early life and career

Spagnolo started playing basketball at the age of four and began his youth career with Aurora Brindisi. At age 12, he scored 78 points and 77 points in the semifinal and final of the regional under-14 championship, respectively. At 13 years of age, Spagnolo moved to Rome to join Stella Azzurra.[1] He made his Serie B debut at age 14, becoming the youngest Italian to play at the senior level.[2] On 2 May 2018, he moved to Real Madrid in Spain, where he became the first Italian to join the club's youth academy.[3] At Adidas Next Generation Tournament Munich in January 2020, Spagnolo averaged 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, helping Real Madrid's under-18 team win the title.[4]

Professional career

On 8 March 2020, Spagnolo made his senior debut for Real Madrid, playing 36 seconds in a Liga ACB loss to Zaragoza.[5]

National team career

Spagnolo averaged 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, three steals and 2.6 assists per game for Italy at the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship in Udine. He was named to the All-Star Five after helping his team earn the bronze medal.[6] On 20 February 2020, at age 17, Spagnolo made his senior debut for Italy, scoring three points in a win over Russia at the EuroBasket qualification stage. He became the third-youngest player to play for Italy's senior team.[7]

References
  1. Tundo, Andrea (4 February 2020). "Matteo Spagnolo, dal campetto del quartiere alla Nazionale a 17 anni: storia della promessa del basket che studia da 'big' nel Real Madrid". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  2. Nigro, Giuseppe (4 May 2018). "Basket, baby Spagnolo futuro galactico, al Real a 14 anni: «È tutto fantastico»". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  3. "Lo stellino Matteo Spagnolo al Real Madrid: primo italiano della storia ad entrare nella Cantera dei "blancos"" (in Italian). Stella Azzurra. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  4. "Matteo Spagnolo, de brillar con el filial del Real Madrid a la Selección de Italia". Marca (in Spanish). 29 January 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  5. "Spagnolo becomes the 14th academy graduate to make his debut under Laso". Real Madrid. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  6. "MVP Dominguez headlines All-Star Five in Udine". FIBA. 17 August 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  7. "Basket: il brindisini Matteo Spagnolo debutta in nazionale „Matteo Spagnolo il "fenomeno": debutto in azzurro a soli 17 anni" (in Italian). BrindisiReport. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
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